• Select and explain key terms, definitions, concepts, theories and models about IT project management challenges covered in the course that are relevant to a specific case setting
• Present a clear and coherent argument for your choice of relevant theories and models including their advantages and limitations.
• Apply the selected key terms, definitions, concepts, theories and models in a systematic analysis of project management in the specific case setting.
• Discuss and reflect on practical and theoretical implications for IT project management resulting from the analysis.
• Produce a clear and meaningful narrative that follows academic writing conventions; e.g.; proper references, a clear structure, and well articulated arguments.

Challenges in contemporary project management

The context and conditions of contemporary IT software and systems are complex and constantly changing. While the traditional large scale (in house or vendor based) monolithic projects are still carried out, today's software and systems development range from small phone apps to large complex inter-organizational systems, and from embedded software to standard products. Projects may involve several teams and vendors from different continents. At the same time, development paradigms, principles, and practices have evolved from the traditional waterfall over agile to current explorations into continuous delivery and deployment.

The IT organization must have structures and governance mechanisms that allows it to prioritize and manage its portfolio of projects and programs, and stay tuned with a rapidly changing business environment.

Project and program managers must have a holisitic understanding of the organizational, technical, and cultural challenges in order to navigate in this complex context.

Building on the students' knowledge about basic project management concepts, techniques and challenges, the course will discuss current project and program management dilemmas. The aim of the course is to improve the students' ability to become reflective project managers in multiple contexts and settings.

The literature can be changed before the semester starts. Students are advised to find the final literature in the teaching plan.

The course readings consist of selected research papers.

Example articles:

Conboy, K. (2009). Agility from First Principles: Reconstruction of the Concept of Agility in Information Systems Development. Information Systems Research (20: 3): 329-354.

De Haes, S. and Van Grembergen, W. (2004). IT governance and its mechanisms. Information Systems Control Journal, 1:27-33.

Gregory, R. W., Keil, M., Muntermann, J., & Mähring, M. (2015). Paradoxes and the nature of ambidexterity in IT transformation programs. Information Systems Research, 26(1), 57-80.

Jöhnk, J., Oesterle, S., Winkler, T., Nørbjerg, J., & Urbach, N. (2019). Juggling the Paradoxes – Governance Mechanisms in Bimodal IT Organizations. Paper presented at the Twenty-Seventh European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS2019), Stockholm-Uppsala, Sweden.

Persson, J. S, Nørbjerg, J. and Nielsen, PA (2016). Improving ISD Agility in Fast-moving Software organizations. Twenty-Fourth European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Istanbul, Turkey.

Shollo, A., & Constantiou, I. (2013). IT Project Prioritization Process: The Interplay of Evidence and Judgment Devices. In The 21st European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) 2013.

Thomas, J., & Mengel, T. (2008). Preparing project managers to deal with complexity – Advanced project management education. International Journal of Project Management, 26(3), 304-315.